Desk.



supporting-bracket used in connection there- UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

LORENZO D. SIBLEY, OF VINELAND, NEIV JERSEY.

DESK.

No. 837,000. Specification of Application filed May 31, 1

10 all Hill/OWL it may concern:

Be it known that I, LORENZO D. SIBLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vineland, in the county of Cumberland and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and use ful Desk, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wall-desks; and itsobject is to provide a simple and compact device of this character which can be readily carried and which can be securely and rigidly fastened to the wall.

Another object is to provide a desk of this character having a closure adapted to be used as a writing shelf or leaf, said closure having novel means for holding it either in open or closed position.

Another object is to provide a novel form of hinge which will hold the shelf or closure firmly in extended position, so that the same will be able to resist a considerable pressure without resulting in injury thereto.

A still further object is to provide novel means for securing a tablet upon the leaf so that it will not become displaced when said leaf or closure is raised or lowered, said holding means being adjustable to tablets of different sizes.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of a casing adapted to be detachably secured to a wall or other structure and having means thereon for hold ing ink, paper, &c. A closure is connected to the lower portion of the casing and is adapted when open to constitute a shelf or leaf to be used as a writing-table. This closure has hinges of peculiar form for supporting it when open, and nieans are used in connection with the hinges for holding the closure either in open or closed position. A novel form of clamp is disposed upon the inner face of the closure for the purpose of securing a writing-tablet thereto.

The invention also consists of certain other novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device open, a portion of the closure being broken away. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the upper portion of the device and showing the back thereof and the Patented Nov. 27, 1906.

with. Fig. 3 is a section through the lower portion of the wall-desk, showing one of the hinges in elevation and the shelf or closure open and Fig. 4 is a section showing the other hinge in elevation and the shelf or closure in closed position.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 is a casing of any suitable contour and proportions, the same being closed at the back, as shown at 2, and having flanges 3 extending rearwardly from the sides and top thereof and beyond the rear wall of the casing. Hooks 4 are fastened to the rear wall and are adapted to engage a cross-strip 5, which is seated within a groove 6, extending transversely within one face of a bracket 7. This bracket 7 'is adapted to be fastened to a wall in any preferred manner and has an opening 8 extending into the groove therein and adapted to register with any one of a series of openings 9 in the strip 5. A screw or other fastening device 1.0 is adapted to be placed within these registering openings for the purpose of locking the strip and bracket together after a desired adjustment has been effected. The flanges 3 serve to conceal the hooks 4, strip 5, and bracket 7 when the desk is fastened upon a wall.

The bottom 11 of the casing is disposed above the lower en"s of the sides of said casing and preferably supports a partition 12, which divides the interior of the casing into an ink-compartment A and pa per-compartment B, said lest-mentioned compartment being formed with a pocket 13 for the reception of envelops and the like. A bead 14 is arranged along the front edge of the bottom 11 for retaining pens and pencils in position.

A plate 15 is secured to the inner face of each side of the casing and below the bottom 11, and each of these plates has a socket 16. A flange 17 is formed at the rear end of the plate 15 and is fastened to the back 2 of the casing, and this flange constitutes a stop for a plate 18, having an ear 19 outstanding therefrom and formed with an integral lug 20, which is rotatably mounted within the socket 16. The two plates 18 are fastened to the upper or inner face of a closure 21, adapted to swing against the edges of the sides and top of the casing to close the same or to move downward into a horizontal position, with the inner ends of plates 18 abutting against the stop-flanges 17.

In order that the closure may be rigidly retained in either open or closed position a pin 22 is arranged upon the ear 19 and has a rod 23 connected to it, which extends along the inner face of one of the sides of the casing and is connected to a coiled spring 24, fastened to the top of said casing. The ear 19 at the opposite edge of the closure has an L shaped extension 25 thereon, as shown in Fig. 41, and is constantly contacted by a spring-leaf 26, which is fastened to a block 27, secured under the bottom 11. exerts a constant pressure upon the extension 25 and serves to hold. the closure either open or closed. The same result is obtained through the use of the spring 24, and either or both of these springs may be used upon the same closure.

A guide-strip 28 is arranged upon the closure adjacent one edge, and a toothed strip 30 is disposed at right angles thereto adjacent one end and constitutes one jaw of a clamp. A slide 31 is mounted on the strip 28 and carries a cam 32, which is adapted to bind on said strip to lock the slide in any position to which it may be adjusted. A

toothed arm 33 extends from the slide and constitutes the other jaw of the clamp. A tablet 34, such as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1, is adapted to be placed between the two jaws, after which the slide 31 is moved so as to clamp the tablet between the two jaws. Jaw 33 is then fastened by means of cam 32. A handle 35 may be secured upon the top of the desk, so that the same can be I readily carried from place to place.

It will be seen that a desk constructed in the manner herein described is of very simple and inexpensive construction and will form an attractive and useful piece of furniture particularly adapted to store or shop use. The novel arrangement of springs serves to hold the closure rigidly either in closed or open position, and the provision of hinged members, one of which constitutes a stop for the other, enables the closure or shelf to be subjected to considerable strainwithout danger of injury thereto.

While the desk has been shown and described as provided with its flanges 3, it is to be understood that, ifpreferred, the sides and top of the casing may be extended so as to project beyond the back thereof, and thus conceal the supporting-bracket. Also in- This leaf I stead of arranging the closure so as to swing against the edges of the casing it can be arranged to swing between the edges and against suitable stops. These modifications are so obvious that illustration thereof is deemed unnecessary.

The preferred form of the invention has been set forth in the foregoing description but I do not limit myself thereto, as I am aware that modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages thereof, and I therefore reserve the right to make such changes as fairly fall within the scope of the claims.

What is claimed is 1. In a desk of the character described the combination with a casing, socketed hinge members secured thereto, and stop-flanges integral with said members, of a combined shelf and closure, hinge members thereon pivotally connected to the socketed members and adapted to be limited in their movement by the stop-flanges, and resilient means for holding the closure in open or closed position.

2. The combination with a casing having a combined shelf and closure hinged thereto, and hooks upon the rear face of the casing of a grooved bracket, and a supporting-strip adjustably connected thereto and detach limit the movement of the hinge members of v the closure, and a spring for exerting a constant tension upon the hinge member of the closure for holding said closure either in open or closed. position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LORENZO D. SIBIJEY.

Witnesses:

J. L. RING, HETTIE C. BROWNE. 

